Lullaby

BookPage book clubs column by Julie Hale

One of contemporary literature's most innovative authors, Palahniuk has consistently surprised readers with his twisted, satirical tales of life in the modern world. Lullaby is another eccentric bestseller, the story of a journalist named Carl Streator, who comes across a song with lyrics that literally kill. While investigating Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Streator learns that all of the disorder's recent victims were read the same poem, an African song that, when repeated to any listener, has fatal results. Adding to the creepiness of his discovery is Helen Hoover Boyle, a realtor who deals in haunted houses, and who also knows the secret of the song. Together, they embark on a journey to find and destroy all existing copies of the poem. With his singular sense of humor and eye for the offbeat, Palahniuk provokes with every page of this memorable novel.